Mediterranean and DASH Diet Combination for Stroke Survivors

There was a positive association for the top vs the lowest tertile of MIND diet scores with a slower rate of global cognitive decline

HealthDay News — For stroke survivors, high adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline, according to a study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference, held from January 24 to 26 in Los Angeles.

Laurel J. Cherian, MD, from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues annually assessed 106 participants with a history of stroke at baseline enrollment for an average of 4.7 years to examine whether the MIND diet slows cognitive decline. Cognition was assessed in 5 cognitive domains using structured clinical examinations. A valid food frequency questionnaire was used to compute MIND diet scores.

The researchers found that in an age-adjusted model, there was a positive association for the top vs the lowest tertile of MIND diet scores with a slower rate of global cognitive decline (β = 0.08; P = .02). The correlation remained unchanged after further adjustment for sex, education, apolipoprotein E4, late-life cognitive activity, caloric intake, physical activity, and smoking (β = 0.08; P = .03).

"Our study suggests that if we choose the right foods, we may be able to protect stroke survivors from cognitive decline," Cherian said in a statement. "This is a preliminary study that will hopefully be confirmed by other studies, including research looking specifically at stroke survivors."